Trayvon Williams tragedy(not)

[Adams, Larry W.]

I agree with David that playing word games is inappropriate, thus my original observation.  Words are hugely important and that's why we all, media especially, need to be careful how we use them.  Just my opinion, but this whole situation is not a tragedy, it's a travesty.   I agree the need for the kinds of laws such as the one in Florida probably exists, but the blatant mishandling of the affair by the local law enforcement is very disconcerting and discouraging.  The killing of this young man, however, isn't a result of someone's internal flaw, unless you count racism as an internal flaw.  The other aspect is that this flaw must be unknown to the protagonist;  I think Zimmerman is very aware of his attitudes.   I also have to agree, however, that I know neither of the affected people in this incident and am speaking totally out of hearsay.  So, I probably ought not form an opinion at all?
 Larry 


________________________________________
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] on behalf of Michael Bailey [michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 8:19 AM
To: P-list
Subject: Re: Trayvon Williams tragedy(not)

David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have to say that playing literary word games with this boy's murder
> seems callous to me.
> Just sayin'...

first, please pardon me if I gave any offense.

But literary word games are pretty important to me.

I'm writing in a forum where none of us is personally acquainted with
either of the persons (please let me know if that's wrong), and which
is dedicated to literary contemplations.

I'm following up on my original post that started the thread in which
I used the term "tragedy" and refining what I think the tragedy of the
situation is.

Trayvon (afaik) didn't do anything wrong.  His plight and the
community problems surrounding it are being addressed by persons more
versed in those matters - as I expressed a hope for originally - thank
goodness!

I think anyone with a heart would be moved by what happened to him.
That's not in dispute, and I will participate in solidarity to the
best of my ability.  It's a sorrow, it's a shame, it's a cause.

But the tragedy, in Joyce's terms, is a person with good intentions
taking on inappropriate authority.  There is so much that excites pity
and terror in me:

a) that terrible feeling when one becomes conscious that one has made
a grievous error
b) the societal trends pushing gun ownership, Florida's
stand-your-ground law, racism, and for that matter, the criminals who
made a neighborhood watch seem necessary
c) the difficulty a young person has finding a place in society and
the way he apparently adopted the Neighborhood Watch as way too big a
part of his reason for existing
d) the apparent coverup by the Sanford police
e) Zimmerman's future - what will happen to him in prison?

The person whose conscious actions can be said to be the proximate
cause of a tragic occurrence is the tragic protagonist.
The problems that need to be addressed are the problems that this
person demonstrated.